Environmental advocates in Albania started 2024 with a sense of foreboding. Despite relentless efforts to prevent it, the government has moved forward with what many are calling the most destructive law ever enacted regarding Protected Areas.
In June 2024, the Albanian government approved a series of acts allowing construction, operation, and transmission projects within protected landscapes. This decision has confirmed the worst fears expressed by nature conservationists earlier this year.
The National Council of Territory (NCT) now wields unprecedented power over these areas. Mr. Taulant Bino, President of the Albanian Ornithological Society (AOS), warned back in February 2024: “The NCT has the authority to overturn previous prohibitions, granting approval for activities within Protected Areas. The NCT is reinstated as the primary authority governing these regions, sanctioning regulations, illegal structures, purportedly strategic investments, and various other activities. There is a growing perception that this draft legislation was originally commissioned by the Council of Ministers. If the government’s desired outcome is achieved and this draft law is approved, the legislation could aptly be dubbed the ‘Unprotected Areas Law.'”
Ten draft decisions have already been approved, including:
- “Protected landscape Bredhi i Drenoves – Sinicë”, Category V
- “Rrushkull Protected aquatic/terrestrial landscape”, Category V
- “Protected aquatic/terrestrial landscape Buna – Velipoja River”, Category V
- “Protected aquatic/terrestrial landscape Pishë Poro – Nartë”, Category V
- “Protected aquatic/terrestrial landscape Lake Pogradec”, Category V
- “Protected landscape Kuturman – Qafë Bushi”, Category V
- “Protected Landscape Krastë – Verjon”, Category V
- “Protected Landscape Guri i Nikës – Valamarë – Lenie”, Category V
- “Bjeshka e Oroshit Protected landscape”, Category V
- “Bisht-Kamez Protected aquatic/terrestrial landscape”, Category V
The sweeping scope of these decisions is evident in the specifics of prohibited and permitted activities. For instance, Article 4 of the “Protected aquatic/terrestrial Landscape of Pishe Poro” bans activities that worsen, destroy, or fragment natural habitats. Yet, Article 5 permits a wide range of activities including agritourism, renewable energy installations, urban development, and even military operations, provided they receive the appropriate permits.
These changes represent a totally new concept from previous regulations that defined different protection levels for various areas within a landscape, also as recommended by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The new approvals threaten the core areas of protection, allowing projects such as highways, photovoltaic plants, and wind turbines to encroach on even the most safeguarded zones.
If you have investment plans for Pelican Island in the Karavasta Lagoon or the core area of Divjake Karavasta National Park, the latest legislation now makes it possible to push forward with proposals for highways, airfields, or luxury tourism resorts. These decisions now treat protected areas uniformly, from their outer borders to their central points.
The government’s priorities, backed by the 2024 Report on Investment Climate from the US Department, are clear: economic development at any cost. This approach is undertaken without adequate consideration for environmental protection or sustainable development goals. The natural heritage of Albania is now at the mercy of unchecked economic ambitions, with potentially irreversible consequences.